U.S. patent number 10,057,228 [Application Number 14/689,846] was granted by the patent office on 2018-08-21 for registering content to a digital locker.
This patent grant is currently assigned to CT ACQUISITION HOLDCO, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is CINRAM GROUP, INC.. Invention is credited to Steve Brown, John Crosier, Sean Mancuso, Robert McAndrew, Paul Savage, Jeff Williams.
United States Patent |
10,057,228 |
Brown , et al. |
August 21, 2018 |
Registering content to a digital locker
Abstract
An approach is provided for registering specific content in a
portable storage medium to a digital locker. The portable storage
medium is configured to include a content access application which
causes the user interface to display a content access and
registration part on a terminal executing the content access
application, to request user entry of access validation information
associated with the specific content. Upon access validation, the
specific content can be registered to the digital locker of the
user.
Inventors: |
Brown; Steve (Toronto,
CA), Crosier; John (Burbank, CA), Savage; Paul
(Scranton, PA), Mancuso; Sean (Moosic, PA), McAndrew;
Robert (Olyphant, PA), Williams; Jeff (Archbald,
PA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CINRAM GROUP, INC. |
Phoenix |
AZ |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CT ACQUISITION HOLDCO, LLC
(Phoenix, AZ)
|
Family
ID: |
54322977 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/689,846 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20150304296 A1 |
Oct 22, 2015 |
|
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
61980945 |
Apr 17, 2014 |
|
|
|
|
61988653 |
May 5, 2014 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
21/10 (20130101); G06F 21/604 (20130101); H04L
63/08 (20130101); H04L 2463/101 (20130101); H04L
2463/102 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
29/06 (20060101); G06F 21/60 (20130101); G06F
21/10 (20130101) |
Field of
Search: |
;726/5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WO 2013/103568 |
|
Jul 2013 |
|
WO |
|
Primary Examiner: To; Baotran N
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cooper & Dunham LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 61/980,945 filed on Apr. 17, 2014 and U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/988,653 filed on May 5, 2014, each entitled
"REGISTERING CONTENT TO A DIGITAL LOCKER".
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable non-transitory recording medium comprising one or
more content storage portions wherein said portable non-transitory
recording medium stores a content access application that performs
a method to facilitate access to specific content stored on said
one or more content storage portions of the portable non-transitory
recording medium, said method being performed by the content access
application once said portable non-transitory recording medium is
inserted in a terminal and comprising: requesting an entry of
access validation information associated with the specific content,
from a user interface of said terminal; and upon a validation based
on the entered access validation information, requesting
registration, in a network-accessible digital locker, of an
indication that the specific content is activated for access upon
entry of credentials and an indication of one or more terminal
platforms on which the specific content can be accessed.
2. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1, wherein
the entered access validation information includes an identifier
unique to the portable non-transitory recording medium.
3. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 2, wherein
the unique identifier appears on the portable non-transitory
recording medium.
4. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 2, wherein
the unique identifier is a serial identifier written on a burst
cutting area of the recording medium.
5. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1, wherein
the method performed by the content access application further
comprises upon said requesting of registration, reproducing the
specific content on said terminal.
6. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1, wherein
upon said requesting of registration, the specific content is
retrievable from the network-accessible digital locker upon entry
of said credentials.
7. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 6, wherein
the specific content stored in said one or more content storage
portions is available to be reproduced even before said entry of
the access validation information associated with the specific
content.
8. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 6, wherein
upon said requesting of registration, the specific content is
unlocked for reproduction from the network-accessible digital
locker upon entry of said credentials.
9. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1, wherein
the specific content is stored on the portable non-transitory
recording medium and can be reproduced from the recording medium
even without said requesting of registration.
10. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1,
wherein the method performed by the content access application
further comprises requesting registration in the digital locker,
upon validation, a link to a specific content to retrieve the
specific content in a format usable by a terminal having one of the
registered terminal platforms.
11. The portable non-transitory recording medium of claim 1,
wherein the specific content registered in the digital locker can
be activated for additional platforms, in addition to said one or
more terminal platforms.
12. A method performed on a terminal, to facilitate access to at
least one specific content stored on one or more content storage
portions of a portable non-transitory recording medium readable by
said terminal, said method comprising: requesting an entry of
access validation information associated with the specific content,
from a user interface of said terminal; and upon a validation based
on the entered access validation information, requesting
registration, in a network-accessible digital locker, of an
indication that the specific content is activated for access upon
entry of credentials and an indication of one or more terminal
platforms on which the specific content can be accessed, wherein
said method is performed by a software application executed on said
terminal once said portable non-transitory recording medium is
inserted in said terminal, said software application being stored
on said portable non-transitory recording medium.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the specific content
stored on one or more content storage portions is available to be
reproduced even before said entry of the access validation
information associated with the specific content.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said method further
comprises requesting registration, in the digital locker, upon said
validation, of a link to a specific content to retrieve the
specific content in a format usable by a terminal having one or
more registered terminal platforms.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the specific content
registered in the digital locker can be activated for additional
platforms, in addition to said one or more terminal platforms.
16. A terminal comprising at least one circuitry adapted to
facilitate access to at least one specific content stored on a
portable non-transitory recording medium readable by said terminal,
said circuitry being adapted to execute a software application
stored on said portable non-transitory recording medium once said
portable non-transitory recording medium is inserted in said
terminal in order to: request an entry of access validation
information associated with the specific content, on a user
interface of said terminal, and upon obtaining a validation based
on the entered access validation information, requesting
registration, in a network-accessible digital locker, of an
indication that the specific content is activated for access upon
entry of credentials and an indication of one or more terminal
platforms on which the specific content can be accessed.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates to an approach to make content available to
a user through any of various terminals that the user may use, and
more particularly, such approach that includes registering content
in a portable storage medium to a digital locker.
BACKGROUND
Digital media is playing an increasingly greater role in our
society. For example, digital media makes it possible to enjoy
content (such as audio and/or video content), in any of various
available ways today, such as through compact disc (CD), digital
versatile disc (DVD) and Blu-ray disc (BD) players reproducing
content from optical discs, cable television receivers,
network-connected players, etc. For example, forms of
entertainment, such as games, music and videos or movies, are more
commonplace due to the ease of distribution through the Internet to
smartphones, other portable devices, terminals, etc. Consequently,
expectations of availability of content are proliferating amongst
many content consumers, with the end game being content
availability anywhere-anytime.
However, although the Internet is a popular means of obtaining
entertainment and other content, some users are hesitant to submit
payment through the Internet for such entertainment or content,
since information technology (such as packet sniffers, and the
like, as well as other elicit techniques) is also used by thugs and
thieves to misappropriate identity and other personal information
of consumers who conduct transactions through the Internet. Such
consumers may prefer to submit payment in person at a retail
establishment, where there is a lower risk of having ones identity
and/or other personal information hijacked.
Thus, there remains a need for a better way for a user, when
required, to pay for content and then to be able to access such
content conveniently (and virtually) anytime, anywhere.
BRIEF SUMMARY
This disclosure provides an approach for a content consumer to
access the desired content, without having to conduct a purchase or
rental transaction through the Internet (and thereby compromising
personal information of the consumer). More specifically, the
consumer obtains a portable recording (or storage) medium through a
retail establishment or by mail (or similar conventional channel),
and registers the content associated with the portable recording
medium to a digital locker of the consumer. The contents registered
in such digital locker can be accessed by the consumer through any
of various terminals that the user may use.
In an aspect of this disclosure, the portable recording medium is
configured to store a content access application which includes a
user interface module to cause a content access and registration
part (such as in a menu, or another type of user interface) to be
displayed on a terminal executing the content access application,
and request user entry of access validation information associated
with the specific content. For example, when the user selects or
otherwise activates the part, a connection to an access validation
authority is established. The user interface may request entry of
the access validation information (e.g., a unique, or serial, code
associated with, and applied during manufacturing to, the portable
recording medium) before or after the connection to the access
validation authority is established. Upon access validation, access
by the consumer to the specific content in his or her digital
locker is activated.
In another aspect of this disclosure, upon validation, content
access is allowed via the consumer's digital locker (e.g.,
associated with the consumer's user credentials). Thus, even in the
instance that the transaction (e.g., purchase, rental, etc.) to
acquire access to the content is performed through conventional
channels (such as, for example, a brick-and-mortar retail
establishment), the consumer can register the acquired access
rights in the digital locker and thereafter content access is
unlocked or activated for the consumer to access the content from
virtually anywhere and anytime (so long as a network connection is
available to the consumer).
In another aspect of this disclosure, the content is stored on the
portable recording medium and upon completion of the transaction
(i.e. purchase, rental, etc.), the consumer can proceed to
reproduce the content from the portable medium. On the other hand,
upon registration of the content to the consumer's digital content,
such registered content becomes accessible by the consumer even
without physical possession of the portable medium, so long as the
consumer has a terminal and network connection to access the
digital locker.
In another aspect of this disclosure, upon access validation, the
consumer can specify any of various possible content platforms from
which the consumer may wish to access the content. Upon such
registration, the specific content becomes retrievable via the
digital locker, upon entry of the user credentials, for
reproduction on any of the various network terminals that the user
can operate. Further, even if a particular platform was not
specified at the time of initial registration, the consumer may be
permitted to add an additional platform via the digital locker, at
a later time.
The approach described herein also benefits the content provider in
that the content can be marketed as being available from any of the
various popular digital media, while network access to the content
is controlled via a registration and activation process and thus
can limit access to those who have properly procured access rights.
Conversely, possession of the portable medium permits the consumer
to reproduce the content stored in one or more content storage
portions of the portable recording medium. Therefore, the content
can be marketed in the conventional manner (i.e. via retail
establishment).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The aforementioned and other aspects, features and advantages can
be more readily understood from the following detailed description
with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a portable recording medium
configured for content to be registered to a digital locker,
according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 2A shows a portable recording medium configured, according to
another exemplary embodiment, for content to be registered to a
digital locker;
FIG. 2B shows a portable recording medium, according to another
exemplary embodiment, in which a validation code is captured as a
bar code (or other mark) in a burst cutting area;
FIG. 2C shows a portable recording medium, according to another
exemplary embodiment, in which a validation code is imprinted in a
burst cutting area;
FIG. 3 shows a portable recording medium configured for content to
be registered to a digital locker, according to another exemplary
embodiment;
FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a system, according to an exemplary
embodiment, configured for content to be registered to a digital
locker;
FIG. 5 shows a block diagram corresponding to an exemplary
configuration of a computing device which can be configured to
operate as a server or another service providing device;
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of a
terminal apparatus;
FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of a
media player;
FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a method performed by a media player
configured, according to an exemplary embodiment, to register
content on a portable recording medium to a digital locker;
FIGS. 9A-9P show examples of user interface display screens
displayed on an display connected to the media player, according to
an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of a method performed by a terminal to
access registered content on a digital locker, according to an
exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 11A-11D show examples of user interface display screens
displayed terminal apparatus, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings,
specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However,
the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be
limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be
understood that each specific element includes all technical
equivalents that operate in a similar manner. In addition, a
detailed description of known functions and configurations is
omitted where it may obscure the inventive aspects discussed in
this disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like
reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts
throughout the several views, an improved approach to market
content via use of a portable recording medium is described
below.
FIG. 1 shows schematically a block diagram of a portable recording
medium 101 in which a content access application 101a, a user
interface module 101b and a content access and registration part
101c are embodied in the recording medium 101. Exemplary
embodiments of the portable recording medium 101 are discussed
herein with reference to an optical storage disc (e.g., CD disc, MD
disc, BD disc, etc.). However, it should be appreciated that other
recording media can be configured to include the features described
herein.
In a case that the portable recording medium 101 is an optical
disc, such as a BD disc or DVD disc, a process called authoring may
be used to develop an image to be replicated on the optical discs.
Authoring includes gathering from content sources (and creating)
source materials including video assets, audio assets, menu
content, still pictures, video stills, sub-pictures, and subtitle
text, formulating information for video title set, video
management, presentation control and data search, and determining
and embedding functionality into the menus, sub-pictures, program
chain information files, and video objects. Such content elements
are typically assembled (into a content hierarchy or roadmap),
synchronized, and encoded, and then an optical disc application
(that is, a self-contained and self-organized package of content
which, when embodied on an optical disc inserted in a media player,
commences playing at the start of the package and then stops at the
end, assuming no intervening user control) is created. An authoring
tool can be used to guide a user through the authoring process,
including flagging one or more area(s) on the medium to be ignored
by the media player, and inserting data in specified locations
(relative to content to be reproduced by a media player). After the
application is completed, a pre-mastering software tool can be used
to generate a disc image, and then store the disc image on
appropriate media
The content access application 101a may be an application that
contains a set of instructions, such as, for example, Blu-ray Disc
Java (BD-J) code, on the portable recording medium 101 that causes
a media player to perform a certain set of actions when the
portable recording medium 101 is played on the media player. In
other words, the application allows the user to access specific
content on the portable recording medium 101 via the media player.
The application may be inserted along with the content in an
optical disc. On the other hand in a storage device such as flash
drive, the application may be located in a file.
In a case that the application is or includes BD-J code, such code
may be written on the Java ME (Java Micro Edition) platform
according to the BD-J specification for creating advance content on
Blu-ray discs. The BD-J code may be found within a file on the
Blu-ray disc and may correspond to a variety of applications that
may enhance the user's experience (e.g., subtitles, language
options, bonus content, trailers, etc.). Further, the BD-J code may
also cause the media player to perform certain tasks such as
accessing a website on the Internet, unlocking content, or
registering content to a digital locker. This may be performed by
presenting to a user interface screen corresponding to an
application supported by the BD-J code.
The user interface module 101b causes the media player to present,
via a display, interfaces to the user that may show the content
access application in a user format (e.g., menu screen, scene
selection, etc.) or may cause the content access and registration
part 101c to be displayed on the screen for view by the user.
The content access and registration part 101c prompts the user to
enter validation information. The validation information may be
anything from a series of random or nonsensical alphanumeric
characters to several pieces of user information (name, date of
birth, age, ID number, etc.) Further, the content access and
registration part 101c may include an application supported by BD-J
code or a link such as a uniform resource locator (URL) which may
cause a media player to access a validation authority to confirm
that the validation information entered by the user is correct. In
a case that the validation information is verified, the user can
register the specific content to his or her digital locker. On the
other hand, if the validation information is incorrect, the user is
denied the benefit of registering the specific content on to a
digital locker.
FIG. 2A shows two examples of the portable recording medium 101. In
one example, the portable recording medium 101 is an optical disc
(e.g., BD, DVD, etc.). In another example, the portable recording
medium 101 is a USB flash drive. However, regardless of the form
taken by the portable recording medium 101, the stored or recorded
contents may be the same and each may have a validation code, which
in an exemplary embodiment, is imprinted thereon externally. As a
result, when the user is prompted to enter validation information,
the user can readily determine the required validation
information.
In another exemplary embodiment, the validation codes may be stored
inside the portable recording medium. As a result, the user is not
required to enter validation information in order to access content
on the portable recording medium. Once the portable recording
medium is inserted or connected to a media player, the validation
codes may be associated with the user's account immediately,
thereby allowing the user to have access to the content.
FIGS. 2B and 2C show additional examples of a portable recording
medium in which it is an optical disc (e.g., BD, DVD, etc.). In the
example shown in FIG. 2B, the validation code is written on a burst
cutting area (BCA) as a barcode, and in the example shown in FIG.
2C, the validation code is imprinted on the BCA which is disposed
near the center of the disc.
In the example shown in FIG. 3, each optical disc contains the same
content but a different validation code from the other. In this
case, the content includes a movie "Sword Runner", bonus content,
trailers, subtitles and language options. Each copy (i.e. A and B)
of the movie "Sword Runner" is identical in every aspect. Thus, a
person purchasing copy A receives the same experience as another
person who has purchased copy B. The main difference between each
copy is that for each one, there is a different validation code, so
that it is possible to prevent the same disc from being registered
to different user accounts.
FIG. 4 shows schematically a system 400 that includes a portable
recording medium 401, a media player 402, a display 403, a server
404 and a terminal 405, all of which are interconnected by network
406. Although only one terminal apparatus and server is shown in
FIG. 4, it should be understood that the system 400 can include a
plurality of user terminal devices and servers (which can have
similar or different configurations). Further, the portable
recording medium 401, which is substantially similar to the
portable recording medium 101 in FIG. 1, additionally comprises a
content storage part 101d.
The content storage part 401d of the portable recording medium 401
may comprise one or more storage portions to store specific
content. For example, some of the storage portions may be occupied
by the content access application 101a, the user interface module
101b and/or the content access and registration part 101c,
respectively. Another group of the storage portions may include the
main content (e.g., movie), while another may have features that
enhance the user's experience while accessing the content (e.g.,
subtitles, language options, bonus content, trailers, etc.). The
media player 402 may be an electronic appliance or software
embodied on or in a computer-readable medium which is executable by
a computer to reproduce content from a storage medium. In other
words, the media player 402 allows the content on the portable
recording medium 401 to be reproduced or accessed. The media player
402 may contain one or more optical disc drives to accept portable
recording mediums in an optical disc format or may have one or more
USB ports instead for connecting portable recording mediums in a
USB storage device format (e.g., USB Flash). In addition, the media
player 402 may also have audio/visual ports (HDMI, VGA, component
RGB, component YPbPr, etc.) for connecting cables between itself
and the display 403 for communication. Further, the media player
402, may also be designed to be able to read a variety of formats
(mkv, wmv, mp3, mpg4, etc.).
The media player 402 may be any of a variety of devices, such as a
DVD player, a Blu-ray player, a game console, etc. Although the
aforementioned devices (e.g., DVD player) may be solely dedicated
to reproducing the content with the aid of a display, this may not
always be the case. The media player 402 and the display 403 may
not necessarily be two distinctive devices. For example, the media
player 402 and the display 403 may be combined on a single device
such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. In addition, although
the portable recording medium 401 is shown connecting to the media
player 402 as a separate object (e.g., a USB flash drive), it
should be noted the portable recording medium 401 may be an optical
disc inserted into the optical disc drive of the media player
402.
The media player 402 may also help in facilitating the registering,
of media to a digital locker linked to a user's account. For
example, after the user has either inserted the portable recording
medium 401 in, or connected the portable recording medium 401 to,
the media player 402, the user interface module 401b may cause the
media player 402 to prompt, via the display 403, the user to enter
validation information in order to associate that media with the
user's account. Afterwards, the content access and registration
part 401c may cause the media player to access a URL link or an
application supported by BD-J code within the portable recording
medium 401. Subsequently, the URL or application may lead to a
validation authority which determines whether or not the validation
information entered by the user previously is valid. In a case that
the validation information is correct, the validation authority
allows the content on the portable recording medium 401 to be
registered with the user's account on a digital locker, thereby
allowing the user to access it from any terminal he or she
owns.
The display 403 converts digital content into visual, aural and/or
other humanly perceptible and comprehensible stimuli. Examples of
such an apparatus include monitors, televisions, displays,
speakers, A/V receivers, mobile electronic devices, computers, etc.
The display 403 may also contain audiovisual ports (HDMI, VGA,
component RGB, component YPbPr, etc.) to connect to the media
player 402. Further, the media player 402 and the display 403 may
not necessarily be two distinctive devices. For example, the media
player 402 and the display 403 may be combined on a single device
such as smartphone or a tablet computer.
The server 404 may be one or more servers to provide service to the
user's account. The server 404 may perform a variety of tasks to
facilitate the registering of media to the user's account. For
example, the server 404 may act as a validation authority to
validate information entered by the user for accessing specific
content on the portable recording medium 401. In a case that the
validation information is correct, the server 404 may also perform
the task of registering the specific content to a digital locker on
the user's account. Further, the server 404 may also store content
obtained from the portable recording medium 401 to the user's
account.
In addition, the server 404 may store a plurality of specific
contents before the retail distribution of portable storage medium
401. Further, the server 404 may store many versions of the same
content. For example, the server may store a plurality of movies.
Each movie may contain ten to twenty different versions (standard
definition, high definition, ultra-high definition, director's cut,
theatrical version, Windows, Android, iPad, etc.). As a result,
after the user has registered the specific content to his or her
digital locker, the user may not only access the specific content
on the server 404 anytime but also any versions of it.
The terminal apparatus 405 can be any computing device, including
but not limited to a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a
personal or workstation computer, a kiosk, a PDA (personal digital
assistant), a smartphone or handset, another information terminal,
etc., that can communicate with other devices through the network
406. In addition, the terminal may allow the user to access any
content previously registered with the digital locker associated
with the user's account. The terminal apparatus 406 is further
described infra with reference to FIG. 6.
The network 406 can be a local area network, a wide area network or
any type of network such as an intranet, an extranet, a private or
public cloud network, the Internet, etc., or a combination thereof.
Further, other communications links (such as a virtual private
network, a wireless link, etc.) may be used as well for the network
406. In addition, the network 406 preferably uses TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), but other
protocols such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) can also be used. How devices
can connect to and communicate over networks is well-known in the
art and is discussed for example, in "How Networks Work", by Frank
J. Derfler Jr. and Les Freed (Que Corporation 2000) and "How
Computers Work", by Ron White, (Que Corporation 1999), the entire
contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 5 shows an exemplary constitution of a computer 500 that can
be configured (for example, through software) to operate (at least
in part) as the server 404 of FIG. 4. The computer 500 includes a
processor (or central processing unit) 502 that communicates with a
number of other components, including display 503, keyboard 504, a
memory or storage part 505 and network interface 506, by way of a
system bus 501. The computing device 500 may be a special purpose
device (such as including one or more application specific
integrated circuits or an appropriate combination of conventional
component circuits) or it may be software configured on a
conventional personal computer or computer workstation with
sufficient memory, processing and communication capabilities to
operate as a terminal and/or server, as will be appreciated to
those skilled in the relevant arts.
Additional aspects or components of the computing device 500 are
conventional (unless otherwise discussed herein), and in the
interest of clarity and brevity are not discussed in detail herein.
Such aspects and components are discussed, for example, in "How
Computers Work", by Ron White (Que Corporation 1999), and "How
Networks Work", by Frank J. Derfler. Jr. and Les Freed (Que
Corporation 2000), the entire contents of each of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary constitution of the terminal apparatus
405 of FIG. 4 (for example, as a computer). In FIG. 6, a computer
600 includes a controller (or central processing unit) 602 that
communicates with a number of other components, including memory
603, display 604, application software 605, input/output (such as
mouse, keyboard, touchpad, stylus, microphone and/or speaker with
voice/speech interface and/or recognition software, etc.) 606 and
network interface 607, by way of an internal bus 601.
The memory 603 can provide storage for program and data, and may
include a combination of assorted conventional storage devices such
as buffers, registers and memories [for example, read-only memory
(ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically
erasable PROM (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic
random access memory (DRAM), non-volatile random access memory
(NOVRAM), etc.].
The network interface 607 provides a connection (for example, by
way of an Ethernet connection or other network connection which
supports any desired network protocol such as, but not limited to
TCP/IP, IPX, IPX/SPX, or NetBEUI) to the network to which the
computer 600 is connected (e.g., network 406 of FIG. 4). The
application software 605 is shown as a component connected to the
internal bus 601, but in practice is typically stored in storage
media such as a hard disk or portable media, and/or received
through the network, and loaded into memory 603 as the need
arises.
Additional aspects or components of the computer 600 are
conventional (unless otherwise discussed herein), and in the
interest of clarity and brevity are not discussed in detail herein.
Such aspects and components are discussed, for example, in "How
Computers Work", by Ron White (Que Corporation 1999), and "How
Networks Work", by Frank J. Derfler, Jr. and Les Freed (Que
Corporation 2000), the entire contents of each of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
An example of a configuration of a media player (e.g. media player
402) is shown schematically in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, a media player
700 includes a controller (or central processing unit) 702 that
communicates with a number of other components, including memory
703, display 704, application software 705, input/output (such as
mouse, keyboard, touchpad, stylus, microphone and/or speaker with
voice/speech interface and/or recognition software, etc.) 706 and
network interface 707, by way of an internal bus 701.
The memory 703 can provide storage for program and data, and may
include a combination of assorted conventional storage devices such
as buffers, registers and memories [for example, read-only memory
(ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM) electrically
erasable PROM (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic
random access memory (DRAM), non-volatile random access memory
(NOVRAM), etc.].
The audio/visual interface 704 allows the media player 700 to be
connected to a display device, thereby allowing digital data from a
portable recording medium to be presented in a visual format. The
audiovisual interface 704 may come in a variety of formats such as
HDMI, VGA, component RGB, component YPbPr, etc.
The network interface 705 may be a wired or wireless data
communication part, configured to transmit and/or receive data
(which may include audio or other information) to and/or from a
remote server or other electronic device. Such wired or wireless
data communication part may the same as or different from any wired
or wireless audio output part. As an example, a wireless data
communication part may be configured to communicate data according
to one or more data communication protocols, such as GSM (Global
System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), EV-DO
(Evolution-Data Optimized), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM
Evolution), 3GSM, HSPA (High Speed Packet Access), HSPA+, LTE (Long
Term Evolution), LGE Advanced, DECT, WiFi.TM., Bluetooth.TM.,
etc.
The external device port 706 may provide a connection between the
media player 700 and an external storage device USB flash drive,
external/internal hard disc drive, etc.).
The optical disc drive 708 allows the media player 700 to accept
optical discs (DVD, Blu-ray, CD, etc.) in order to reproduce
content from said optical discs. The optical disc drive 708 may
comprise a compartment or tray to hold an optical disc while a
laser reads the information off the disc to reproduce the
content.
Additional aspects or components of the media player 700 are
conventional (unless otherwise discussed herein), and in the
interest of clarity and brevity are not discussed in detail
herein.
A process performed by a media player (e.g., 101), according to an
exemplary embodiment, will now be discussed with reference to FIG.
8 and FIGS. 9A-9P.
FIG. 9A illustrates a display (e.g., television, monitor, screen,
etc.) connected to a media player (e.g., DVD/BD/CD player,
smartphone, computer, laptop, tablet computer, etc.) which is
connected to a network (e.g., Internet) via an Ethernet port or a
wireless card. As shown the media player includes a places to
insert a portable storage medium (e.g., CD, DVD, BD, USB flash
drive, portable hard disc drive, etc.) such as the USB 2.0/3.0
ports and the disc drive adjacent to the "eject" button. Further
below the media player are several boxes containing different types
of content (movies, documentaries, cartoons, tutorials, etc.) that
are stored on a portable storage medium. It should be noted that in
this case, the boxes are separated into two sets by the user. The
first box set 600 groups media ("Starving", "Gladiators", "Sword
Runner", "Andrew Jackson") that the user has recently bought and
has not yet been played on the media player, while the second box
set 601 groups media ("Planet Mars", "Computer Tutorials", "The
Roosevelts", "Bugs Rabbit Classics", "The First Samurai") that the
user has already played on the media player. It should be noted
that each media in each of the first box set 600 and the second box
set 601 may come in any type of portable storage medium such as a
DVD, Blu-ray Disc, CD, etc. and that each media is in a format
(e.g., MP3, MP4, mkv, wmv, etc.) that is playable by the media
player.
When a user wants to access any media, from the first box set 600,
on the media player, the user firsts inputs user credentials (e.g.,
username and password) onto the media player in order to login and
access his or her personal account. After the user has logged in,
the media player checks whether it is connected to the Internet
(i.e. by Ethernet or wireless card), as shown in FIG. 9B. In a case
that the media player is not connected, the user is informed of
this and is given the opportunity to continue regardless of whether
there is an Internet connection, as shown in FIG. 9C. Next, the
media player outputs options, via the display, for the user to
select from as illustrated in FIG. 9D. As shown, the user may
perform a variety of tasks. For example, the user may access
content that has been played on the media player previously and is
stored on the user's account. On the other hand, the user may
access content from a portable storage medium that is inserted into
or connected to the media player. In this case, the user selects to
access content from a portable storage medium (S801) and inserts
the Blu-ray disc movie "Starving Gladiators" into the media player.
Then, the media player presents the user with a screen such as
shown in FIG. 9E. In this case, the media player attempts to detect
any portable storage medium that has either been connected to or
inserted into the media player (S802). Since the user has only
inserted the Blu-ray disc movie "Starving Gladiators" and has not
connected any electronic device to the USB 2.0/3.0 ports, the media
player informs the user that there it has not detected any devices
connected to the USB 2.0/3.0 ports but that there is a portable
storage medium in the disc drive. Afterwards, the user confirms the
selection made and the media player starts running the Blu-ray disc
movie "Starving Gladiators".
Next, after starting to run the movie, the media player outputs,
for a second time, a message to the user indicating the status of
the Internet connection. In a case that the media player is not
connected to the Internet, the user is informed of this and is
given the option of accessing the content on the Blu-ray disc as
shown in FIG. 9F. Thus, it is not necessary for the user to be
connected to the Internet or to register the content in order to
access it. In other words, the content is always available to the
user. In a case that the user is connected to the Internet, he or
she may be given the option of not registering the movie to his or
her account as shown in FIG. 9G. As state previously, since the
user can watch the movie without registering it to his or her
account, the user may simply select not to register because he or
she might be impatient and want to watch the content right
away.
It should be noted that, in addition to the main content (e.g., a
movie entitled "Starving Gladiators"), the Blu-ray disc may also
contain files that may enhance the user's experience (e.g.,
subtitles, language options, bonus content, extra "mini-movie"
trailers, etc.) or may help facilitate registering the movie to the
user's account. In the latter case, this may be performed by
including a URL or an application supported by BD-J code which is
located on a file inside the disc during the authoring process. As
a result, when the media player starts running the Blu-ray disc
movie "Starving Gladiators" after the user has selected to register
the movie to his or her account, the Blu-ray disc initiates the
first action that the media player takes, after running the
inserted Blu-ray disc, is to access a website via a URL
(http://www.locktech.com/myaccount/media/activation). The website
may be located on a server or a group of servers belonging to a
company or a consortium of companies that provides service for the
user's account. The server or group of servers may perform tasks
such as storing data related the user's account, register media for
the user, storing media, etc. In a case that the content is on a
USB flash drive, a program on the flash drive may facilitate the
registration instead.
Next, after the website has been accessed, a browser displaying the
contents of the site is displayed to the user via the BD-J code or
a program on the USB flash drive as shown in FIG. 9H. The website,
via the media player, then prompts the user to enter a registration
code (S803) whose purpose is to register that particular copy of
the Blu-ray disc movie "Starving Gladiators" to the user's account.
It should be noted that the registration code may be found at
different places. For example, this may depend on the retailer that
the user has bought the movie from. In one case the user is told
that if the disc was bought from a certain retail store "Chipmunk
Corporation; Acme, Inc."), the registration code may appear as a
series of alphanumeric characters written externally on the disc
containing the movie "Starving Gladiators". On the other hand, if
the disc was bought from another retail store (i.e. "Cybernetic
Systems"), the registration may instead be found inside the box
containing the movie "Starving Gladiators".
In addition, the registration code is unique to every copy of the
movie "Starving Gladiators". For example, the registration code
found on the user's copy may be "FG89HL243". However, another copy
may have the registration code "76YHC92I9" instead, even though
both copies contain the exact same content. The existence of
multiple registration codes may be to prevent the same copy of a
movie from being registered to different accounts. After the user
has entered the registration code, the media player determines
whether the registration code is valid (S804). It may possible that
only a limited amount of registration codes were produced or the
registration codes may be created in such a way that each character
in the registration code corresponds to the properties of the
content (e.g., production line number, date manufactured,
country/region of origin, etc.). Consequently, this may prevent
untrustworthy users from arbitrarily guessing the registration
code.
In a case that the registration code is not valid (S804, No), an
error message is outputted to the user (S807) as shown in FIG. 9I.
Consequently, the user is unable to register the movie with his or
her account as the information that he or she inputted was not
validated. On the other hand, in a case that the registration code
is valid (S804, Yes), the media player outputs a message to the
user explaining that the registration code has been verified and is
currently in the process of registering it to the user's account
(S805) as shown in FIG. 9J. After the movie has been successfully
linked to the user's account, shown in FIG. 9K, the user may select
to play it (step S806). It should be noted that since a copy of the
movie already exists on the server or groups of servers, the user
merely unlocks the content on the server or groups of servers. By
unlocking the content, the user may watch the movie on any device
(PC, tablet computer, smartphone, etc.) the user possesses that is
able to access the user's account. Consequently, the user can play
the Blu-ray disc movie "Starving Gladiators" without requiring the
physical copy of the movie to be present or inputting the
registration code again.
In an exemplary embodiment, after the registration code has been
verified, the user may be prompted to select certain devices and/or
operating systems (OS) that the user wants the movie "Starving
Gladiators" to be unlocked for as shown in FIG. 9L. For example,
the user may possess a personal computer (PC) that runs Windows OS,
a smartphone that runs Android OS and a Google Nexus tablet.
Consequently, the user may find it convenient to unlock the movie
"Starving Gladiators" for all of devices that h she possesses. As a
result, by performing this task, it may be more convenient for the
user in the future, when he or she desires to watch the movie
"Starving Gladiators" on those devices.
In another exemplary embodiment, in case the estimated time for
registering the movie to the user's account may be long (e.g., 1
hour) due to a variety of reasons slow Internet speed), the
registration may be performed while the user is accessing the media
as shown in FIG. 9M.
In another exemplary embodiment, the media may be on multiple
discs. For example, after the user has registered the Blu-ray disc
movie "Starving Gladiators", he or she may register the television
series "Andrew Jackson: The Old Hickory" (Seasons 1-3) which is on
DVD and comes in a box set, as shown in FIG. 9N. However, even
though the television series "Andrew Jackson: The Old Hickory" is
on multiple discs, it does not mean that the user is required to
register every disc to his or her account. Instead, each disc
within the set contains the same unique registration code. The user
need insert only one of the discs to register the entire box set to
his or her account. Consequently, this provides more convenience
for the user. For example, there may be three discs in the set with
each containing one season of the television series "Andrew
Jackson: The Old Hickory". However, it may be possible that the
user has already viewed season one of the television series at his
or her friend's house. Thus, when the user bought the set, he or
she may be only interested in viewing seasons two and three. When,
the user inserts the disc for season two, the media player may
requests the user for the registration code which, as stated
previously, is the same on all the discs. Once, the registration
code has been validated, the user can now access any of the three
seasons from this or her account.
In another exemplary embodiment, the media may be on a portable
storage device such as a flash drive or portable hard disc drive.
For example, the user may have attended a technology conference
that was exclusive to only a few people. After the conference was
over, all attendees were given a recording of the conference on a
portable storage device such as a flash drive. Further, each
attendee was given by administrators of the conference, via e-mail,
a set of unique activation symbols (stars, moon, hearts, lightning
bolt, etc.). It should be noted that, like the registration code,
each set of the unique activation symbols is unique to each
attendee. When the user attaches his or her flash drive to the
media player and the media player, a program on the flash drive
activates and creates a user interface screen unique to that
program (e.g., the program was created by the conference
administrators and therefore its user interface screen may
correspond to the conference) and requests the user to input the
unique activation symbols, the user may check his or her e-mail to
obtain them. In a case that the user received a Blu-ray disc, an
application (such as BD-J code) providing a user interface may be
presented to the user instead. Afterwards, the user may enter the
unique activation symbols, as shown in FIG. 9O, and access the
content on the flash drive. It should be noted that in this case,
when the user has selected to obtain content from the flash drive,
an application on the media player accepts the unique activation
symbols and communicates it to the servers or group of servers for
validation.
In another exemplary embodiment, the user may be required by the
media player to input more than one piece of information. Further,
the information may be more than just a series of alphanumeric
characters. For example, in FIG. 9P, the user has bought recently a
music video "American Goat Gregorian Orchestra" on a CD from a
retail store which is a members-only chain. In other words, only
members of the retail store may buy products from it. Further, any
purchases made by the members is automatically recorded in the
retail store's computer system. The user, in this case, is "Charles
Johnson" who is a member a the retail store and whose member ID is
"CJohnson986". Like previously, when "Charles" attempts to access
the music video, the media player prompts him to enter several
pieces of validation information. Such information includes his
first and last name as well as his member ID number. Since, it has
been recorded that "Charles" has purchased the music video, the
information "Charles" has entered is matched with the records in
the retail store. Consequently, "Charles" can now access the music
video anytime he wants.
FIG. 10 shows a process performed by a terminal (e.g., 105), for
executing content on media, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
After the user has registered at least one type of digital media to
his or her account, he or she may access that particular media from
any of the user's device. For example, after the user has
registered the movie "Starving Gladiators" to his or her account,
the user begins to watch the movie immediately on her forty-inch
plasma television set. However, the user only watches half of the
movie "Starving Gladiators", which runs for about three hours,
before realizing he or she has to sleep in order to wake up early
for a meeting in the capital. To get to the capital, the user
boards a train which will arrive there in about two hours. Since,
the user has nothing better to do on the train, he or she decides
to finish watching the rest of the movie "Starving Gladiators" on
his or her portable terminal (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer,
laptop, game console, etc.).
To facilitate this, the user is prompted by the terminal to log in
to his or her account (S1001) as shown in FIG. 11A. Next, the user
inputs his or her credentials to access the account (S1002).
Afterwards, the terminal presents the user with a list of options
as shown in FIG. 11B. It should be noted that these options may be
similar to the options shown previously in FIG. 9B. Since the movie
"Starving Gladiators" is already registered, the user selects to
access media registered on his or her account (S1003). Next, the
terminal displays a list containing every media that the user has
registered to his or her account (S1004). The user may search
through the list to find the content that he or she wishes to
access. The user eventually finds the movie "Starving Gladiators"
and selects it (S1005) which causes the terminal to display
information about the movie to the user (S1006) as shown in FIG.
11C.
The information shown to the user may be properties of the movie
such as its size, genre, rating, language, running quality, etc.
The information may be provided to the user in order to assist the
user in determining which movie version that he or she purchased.
For example, there may be two versions of the movie "Starving
Gladiators", one of which is on Standard Definition (SD) and the
other on High Definition (HD) or one may be a director's cut and
the other a theatrical version. Further, the user may have
purchased both the SD and the HD version of the movie, but is
looking to only to watch the HD version. Thus, the information
presented to the user can greatly assist him or her.
After the user has confirmed his or her selection, he or she may
press the "Play" button to access the media (S1007). However, the
user may be trying to watch the movie on an iPad lent to him or her
by his or her sister. Since the user did not register a version of
the movie "Starving Gladiators" for the iPad, he or she may be
directed to select versions of the movie to watch as shown in FIG.
11D. As shown, the user has three choices to select from such as
SD, HD and ultra-high definition (UHD). But, the user may have a
version of the iPad that can only display media in SD or HD. As a
result, the option for UHD is grayed out, preventing the user from
selecting it. Nevertheless, the user decided to select that HD
version of the movie.
In another exemplary embodiment, the riser may not be prompted to
make a selection. For example, the server containing the user's
digital locker account may simply let the user watch a version that
is most suitable for his or her device. For example, the user may
have set his or her iPad's aspect ratio or the bit rate (i.e.
network connection speed) may be a certain value. As a result, the
server may select the best or most suitable version of the movie
for the user's iPad. Thus, the user may not need to waste time in
thinking about which version to receive.
Thus, even though the movie "Starving Gladiators" was on a Blu-ray
disc, it can be watched on any device once it is registered on the
user's account. This is advantageous in that some devices such as
smartphones or tablet computers do not possess an optical disc
drive to insert certain recordable mediums such as discs. As a
result, by allowing users to register media purchased on a disc
format, the user may be able watch the media on any device
regardless of whether or not that device is able to play the media
in its original purchased format.
The orders in which the steps are performed in the aforementioned
methods are not limited to those shown in the examples of FIGS. 8
and 10, and may be switched as long as similar results are
achieved. Also, it should be noted that the methods illustrated in
the examples of FIGS. 8 and 10 may be implemented using any of the
systems described in connection with FIG. 4.
The aforementioned specific embodiments are illustrative, and many
variations can be introduced on these embodiments without departing
from the spirit of the disclosure or from the scope of the appended
claims. For example, although the portable recording medium 101
shown in FIG. 1 is explained herein by reference to optical discs
(such as DVD or Blu-ray disc), it should be appreciated to the
various features described herein can be embodied in another
recording medium, such as a USB flash drive, SD or micro SD card,
etc., or even a portable device including an embedded recording
medium capable of retaining content for future use, playlback,
etc., such as games, videos, audio files, text documents,
spreadsheets, databases, etc. Further, the content may be in any of
a variety of file formats (mkv, wmv, mp3, mpg4, etc.).
Further, elements and/or features of different examples and
illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or
substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and
appended claims.
This disclosure is based on U.S. Provisional Application No.
61/980,945 filed on Apr. 17, 2014 and U.S. Provisional Application
No. 61/988,653 filed on May 5, 2014, each entitled "REGISTERING
CONTENT TO A DIGITAL LOCKER", and the entire contents of each of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *
References